Example of not getting enough calories

DavidMartinez2
DavidMartinez2 Posts: 840 Member
in Food and Nutrition
There was a thread floating around questioning how people can not get enough calories a day. It went on for 6+ pages and I have no desire to summon it back but I did want to offer an example of how this can happen. Today I left for my run at a little bit after 8 am. I normally do not eat before my morning run. At 10:30 I got home and started to prepare a meal. I drank 8 oz of chocolate milk and ate about a cup of cantelope while I was cooking and then stuffed myself with sweet potato hash and eggs. I was really full afterward but it was still just my first meal of the day. Meanwhile I am looking at 2000 calories to make up and that is after I deducted 250 for BSR.
Sure I could go to Jack in the Box and make up the caloric deficit easily but when you are eating real food it is much harder, especially when you factor in that I don't eat after 8pm. I agree that sometimes you get machines over-estimating the amount of work you have done and that people will under-estimate the amount of food they are eating but those are not the only reason people can have difficulty getting their calories in for the day.

Replies

  • TheNewAdventuresofDanni
    TheNewAdventuresofDanni Posts: 106 Member
    My diary is open, it is a prime example of not getting enough calories. But i have almost hit my goal 2 days in a row! that never happens!
  • Zekela
    Zekela Posts: 634 Member
    When I'm sick (like now) I technically don't get enough cals a day... but I still eat like a normal person, just having deficits of over 500 cals.
  • MinimalistShoeAddict
    MinimalistShoeAddict Posts: 1,946 Member
    I ran earlier today as well and had a large deficit afterwards. I just ate an entire large pepperoni pizza in 10 minutes 8 seconds (2240 calories).

    So if you really want to hit your calorie target today just start eating by 7:50 PM (since you don't like to eat after 8pm) and you will still have time to finish!

    With that said, I don't care much about daily targets (I track my calories and macros by the week). If you are way over or under your target any given day, it should not matter much as long as you make up for it by adjusting your intake on other days to compensate.

    Good luck!
  • RobP1192
    RobP1192 Posts: 310 Member
    There was a thread floating around questioning how people can not get enough calories a day. It went on for 6+ pages and I have no desire to summon it back but I did want to offer an example of how this can happen. Today I left for my run at a little bit after 8 am. I normally do not eat before my morning run. At 10:30 I got home and started to prepare a meal. I drank 8 oz of chocolate milk and ate about a cup of cantelope while I was cooking and then stuffed myself with sweet potato hash and eggs. I was really full afterward but it was still just my first meal of the day. Meanwhile I am looking at 2000 calories to make up and that is after I deducted 250 for BSR.
    Sure I could go to Jack in the Box and make up the caloric deficit easily but when you are eating real food it is much harder, especially when you factor in that I don't eat after 8pm. I agree that sometimes you get machines over-estimating the amount of work you have done and that people will under-estimate the amount of food they are eating but those are not the only reason people can have difficulty getting their calories in for the day.

    I'm shocked that people say they can't get their calories in. You just eat. It's pretty simple. I've had no problem consuming like 1000-1200 calories right after the gym, usually consisting of high protein, some fats, and carbs coming from fruits mostly. Look at my diary. Most of the foods you see that are labeled "breakfast" are eaten right after i'm done with my workout, and usually consumed in that first hour or so.
  • Mlkmaid
    Mlkmaid Posts: 356 Member
    My diary is open, it is a prime example of not getting enough calories. But i have almost hit my goal 2 days in a row! that never happens!

    I've perused your diary and I don't get it - you make a habit of not eating enough calories. Aren't you afraid that if you ever start to eat normally you'll gain back every pound you've lost and more? I've had days where I've not eaten enough but I don't make a habit of having hundreds and hundreds of calories left over at the end of day. You actually have days where you have 1,000 left to eat. I'm no expert but I can't believe this is great behavior.
  • Alwayssohungry
    Alwayssohungry Posts: 369 Member
    I'm going to rain on this parade and say I have seen many, many posts saying exactly "I can't eat 1200 calories a day". With no exercise calories to eat back. These are usually younger girls seeking attention and don't know how to eat properly. OR someone who skips breakfast, has a shake for lunch and then eats pre-packaged Lean Cuisine for dinner thinking that it is healthy.

    I find it to be a sad attempt at getting the wrong kind of attention from someone who isn't taking this seriously. There are a lot of people here working very hard.

    Yes I've had days when I haven't eaten all my calories, but More often I am desperately searching for a few more calories to squeeze in and stay under my mark.
  • DavidMartinez2
    DavidMartinez2 Posts: 840 Member
    I'm shocked that people say they can't get their calories in. You just eat. It's pretty simple. I've had no problem consuming like 1000-1200 calories right after the gym, usually consisting of high protein, some fats, and carbs coming from fruits mostly. Look at my diary. Most of the foods you see that are labeled "breakfast" are eaten right after i'm done with my workout, and usually consumed in that first hour or so.
    So I checked your diary for the day; I ate 500 calories more than you did and was still 1200 under for the day. I will add that I am a runner and I am currently at the weight I want to maintain. My BF% is in single digits so any weight I do loose it going to be muscle which I would prefer to keep. The only point I was trying to make is that for some of us trying to eat enough is an issue when you are trying not to eat trash (for example an entire pizza).

    @Alwayssohungry: did you even read my post? Because what you are talking about is pretty much the exact opposite of what I initially posted about.
  • fluffykitsune
    fluffykitsune Posts: 236 Member
    You are not what they were talking about. You ate 2700 cals, even if that was below your goal and net, you still ate quite a bit.
    They were talking about people whos goal is 1200 cals, do 2 hours of cardio everyday, and ~struggle~ to eat over 800 cals. Like eating is an inconvenience,

    If you ate 1500 cals and went for a long run, then complained you're so stuffed and can't possibly meet your goal, you feel so bloated and disgusting and fat because you ate so much.. Then you'd be an example of what the other thread was talking about.
  • smitchum
    smitchum Posts: 13 Member
    I agree, when marathon training and eating CLEAN, it IS difficult to get in those calories. When I am actively training at my peak (buring 1800+ cals) i always just go by feel. I may be in a deficit by the end of the day. But as long as I am not hungry and I gave my body real food and drank TONS of water then I do not feel threatened that I am not getting enough... some of these calories are made up the next day because I may be very hungry all day from the run the day before and go over my calories... again, I listen to what my body needs. it's easy to eat a whole pizza... but seriously?!?! i'd rather have 5 oz of grilled chicken, 2 cups of grilled veggies and a cup of rice, feel full but without the grease dripping down my chin... YUCK!!!
  • Zekela
    Zekela Posts: 634 Member
    Long distance runners are a different breed. When I went on my 32 mile birthday run, I pretty much ate over 4,000 cals that day. I was still in a deficit. At times like those, it will take more than a day to recover in food intake.
  • roodledoodle
    roodledoodle Posts: 183
    Sorry, but personally I don't see how anybody can not get enough calories from eating a well balanced diet when you have nutrient rich foods that are also calorific such as nuts - almonds have 576 cals per 100g! (unless of course somebody has a nut allergy). Or foods such as avocados that are 160 cals per 100g and full of good fats. Or try adding 1 tablespoon of flaxoil and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter to your daily diet and that would bump it up by nearly another 500 calories!

    There are always nutrient rich high calorie foods if you look.
  • LoosingMyLast15
    LoosingMyLast15 Posts: 1,457 Member
    When I went on my 32 mile birthday run

    I got to this line, gasped and stopped reading. HOLY CRAP! 32 MILES!!!!!!!! on your birthday! I'm impressed.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    My diary is open, it is a prime example of not getting enough calories. But i have almost hit my goal 2 days in a row! that never happens!

    I've perused your diary and I don't get it - you make a habit of not eating enough calories. Aren't you afraid that if you ever start to eat normally you'll gain back every pound you've lost and more? I've had days where I've not eaten enough but I don't make a habit of having hundreds and hundreds of calories left over at the end of day. You actually have days where you have 1,000 left to eat. I'm no expert but I can't believe this is great behavior.
    Your assuming that the Op exercise calories estimate are all accurate. Even if calculated by a hrm thethe an estimate. As he is averaging between 2 and 3 thousand calories a day I very much doubt he's seriously under eating
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    All too often, people don't eat enough while trying to lose weight because they have a skewed definition of food. I can see it happening in a normal manner once in a while, but on a regular basis? That's just a reflection of a bad attitude toward food.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1034395-in-for-the-ridiculous-condemnation-of
  • Gearjammer71
    Gearjammer71 Posts: 151 Member
    I am always short, and I pay it no mind whatsoever. My calorie goal on MFP is 700 over what I set with my dietician. I usually don't even get all the way to the goal that I set with her. I get within 200-300 calories and call it good. Food doesn't have the same mojo for me that it used to... I can't eat just to hit some number.

    I didn't get in the sorry shape that I am in by being adverse to eating a lot of high calorie foods. That's probably the reason why I fall short; I resent food... I felt a sense of betrayal the day I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I thought I was indestructible... Stuff like that happens to other people, not me!
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    I usually don't chime in on topics like this. But I have trouble eating back all my exercise or even half my exercise calories because it's late at night when I get home and I am still learning how to eat healthy. Sorry but whole large pizzas are what got me on this site. I am under more often than not by a significant number and I am just now learning how to eat more by adding more fruits and nuts. I try to eat every 2-3 hours so my body knows food is always coming (advice from my doctor and dietician) and I still eat out more than I'd like. I'm a work in progress and I'm taking my time so that what I'm learning becomes a way of life, not a temporary solution. I've forced myself from around 1100 cal/day to 1400 cal/day but in a typical day I burn 800-1000 without a workout because I have horses and that's just in barn chores and riding, which my body is used to.

    I'm looking for some high quality high calorie protein shakes and bars with low sugars as well for summer because it's hard to eat a large meal and then go out and do manual labor and ride for 3-4 hours a day.
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    im sick as a dog so far have ate 370 calls which came right back out instantly so technically I still have a full days worth. My dinner plan is 1 slice of toast and half a can of beans and egg if im feeling better.... If the stays down and im hungry il eat more lol
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    When I'm sick (like now) I technically don't get enough cals a day... but I still eat like a normal person, just having deficits of over 500 cals.

    "eat like a normal person" What does that mean?
  • Zekela
    Zekela Posts: 634 Member
    When I'm sick (like now) I technically don't get enough cals a day... but I still eat like a normal person, just having deficits of over 500 cals.

    "eat like a normal person" What does that mean?

    Lol... sorry about that. When sick I'll eat about 1700 - 2000 cals daily when healthy, I eat about 2500 - 3200. To the average eye, 2000 may seem normal... I would think...
  • spiffybarbarella1
    spiffybarbarella1 Posts: 39
    I notice if I have a couple of days where I eat less than 500 calories say two or three days a week and about 1,000 the other days then I start losing weight really fast.
  • RobP1192
    RobP1192 Posts: 310 Member
    I'm shocked that people say they can't get their calories in. You just eat. It's pretty simple. I've had no problem consuming like 1000-1200 calories right after the gym, usually consisting of high protein, some fats, and carbs coming from fruits mostly. Look at my diary. Most of the foods you see that are labeled "breakfast" are eaten right after i'm done with my workout, and usually consumed in that first hour or so.
    So I checked your diary for the day; I ate 500 calories more than you did and was still 1200 under for the day. I will add that I am a runner and I am currently at the weight I want to maintain. My BF% is in single digits so any weight I do loose it going to be muscle which I would prefer to keep. The only point I was trying to make is that for some of us trying to eat enough is an issue when you are trying not to eat trash (for example an entire pizza).

    @Alwayssohungry: did you even read my post? Because what you are talking about is pretty much the exact opposite of what I initially posted about.

    Which day did you look at? Most of my days i'm at 2500 or over. And i've only been around 2500 for the past month as i've been on a cut. 2800-2900 is my maintenance. Which is what i'm about to go back to. Not to mention.... been doing that intermittent fasting. Soooo... what you see in my diary is typically between the hours of 1pm - 5-6pm. 2500+ calories. And i actually think it's easier to eat a ton of "clean" foods that aren't starchy. It's those heavy carbs that tend to make me feel stuffed. And pizza isn't trash! :-(

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